Dhanteras, Diwali shopping rush chokes Delhi roads, slows traffic across key markets

Heavy traffic hit Delhi on Dhanteras as shoppers flocked to Chandni Chowk, Connaught Place, Lajpat Nagar and other markets ahead of Diwali.

Delhi witnessed widespread traffic snarls on Friday as Dhanteras and Diwali shoppers thronged markets across the city, choking arterial roads in south, central and north Delhi. The festive rush, coupled with motorists ferrying sweets and gifts to relatives and friends and heavy passenger movement around railway stations and bus terminals, left several stretches gridlocked, with vehicles crawling or remaining stuck for long periods.

Delhi saw heavy congestion on Dhanteras as Diwali shoppers thronged markets, while roads near railway stations and bus terminals were choked with vehicles. (PTI)

Several arterial roads in south Delhi, particularly those around major shopping hubs, witnessed heavy congestion throughout the day. Key stretches affected included Ring Road, Outer Ring Road, Barapullah elevated road, Mathura Road, Lala Lajpat Rai Marg, Aurobindo Marg, Africa Avenue, Mehrauli-Gurugram Road and NH-48 via Mahipalpur. Markets in Lajpat Nagar, Sarojini Nagar and Greater Kailash remained packed with shoppers, adding to the pressure on roads and parking spaces.

Festive rush chokes key roads across south, central and north Delhi

In central and north Delhi, bumper-to-bumper traffic was reported on roads adjoining Connaught Place, Karol Bagh, Gaffar Market, Janpath, Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar and Jama Masjid. Vehicles spilled over onto adjoining streets as shoppers travelling in cars and two-wheelers struggled to find parking spaces, further slowing traffic.

A traffic police officer said narrow market roads and a shortage of authorised parking spaces had compounded the problem, with many motorists parking illegally along roadsides and reducing the carriageway available for moving traffic.

“Situation becomes challenging in areas where market roads are narrow”

“The situation becomes challenging in areas where market roads are narrow and the authorised parking spaces are either far away or already packed with vehicles. As a result, people park their vehicles at unauthorised parking spaces. The roadside parking further reduces the carriageway available for moving traffic. We have deployed cranes to tow away vehicles parked at wrong places. But it’s not possible to remove each vehicle,” the officer said, requesting anonymity.

The rush around railway stations and interstate bus terminals also contributed to the congestion, with roads around New Delhi, Old Delhi and Anand Vihar railway stations, as well as the Anand Vihar and Sarai Kale Khan bus terminals, witnessing bottlenecks.

Buses, private vehicles, auto-rickshaws and taxis crowded the approach roads as thousands of passengers travelled to their hometowns for Diwali, Bhai Dooj and Chhath, despite special traffic arrangements by the police and other agencies.

Commuters travelling between home and work were among those worst affected during the morning and evening peak hours. Several motorists were seen waiting in long queues, while attempts to take alternate routes added to congestion on surrounding roads. During the evening rush, vehicles barely moved for more than an hour on several stretches. Commuters also took to social media to flag the traffic situation, including snarls on the DND Road and around Bara Tooti Chowk in Sadar Bazar.

Several commuters also took to social media to flag the traffic situation and seek police intervention. “There is endless jam on DND road. Going from Noida towards Delhi. Can you pls deploy some staff here to make the traffic move?” a commuter posted on X.

Another commuter highlighted congestion and illegal parking in north Delhi’s Sadar Bazar area. “Bara Tooti Chowk, Sadar Bazar, Delhi-6 till Qutub Road Chowk is fully jammed and encroached illegally. Lots of two-wheelers and vehicles parked unauthorised on footpaths, leaving no place to walk. No crane being sent for enforcement,” the commuter posted.

A senior police officer said additional traffic personnel had been deployed to manage the increased volume of vehicles and clear congestion. “We have been issuing updates and traffic advisories on social media regarding the prevailing situation and traffic diversions and restrictions on roads due to the festive rush,” the officer said.